Ann Bancroft

She was great as Mrs. Robinson.
That character will live foreve. So will Bancroft.

I've been a fan for a long time, probably since the Miracle Worker. In interviews she came across as genuine, a real lady. She'll be missed.

I liked her best as the aging ballerina in "The Turning Point" with Shirley MaClaine.

I think both "The Miracle Worker" and "The Graduate" were both classics.

She always turned in an engaging performance and I will also remember her for her appearances in the Mel Brook's comedies. She will probably almost always be thought of as the Mrs. Robinson, even with all the well known screen actors taking the part on stage.

I really liked her. She gets a special nod from me for Home for the Holidays.

Here's another write up.
----------------
Goodbye, Mrs. Robinson By Joal Ryan
21 minutes ago

Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson. And Miss Sullivan. And Mrs. Brooks.


Anne Bancroft, the versatile, earthy Oscar-winning actress who seduced Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate, tamed Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker and partnered nicely with Mel Brooks for an enduring Hollywood marriage, died Monday of uterine cancer at a New York hospital. She was 73.


"I did what I could, and what I wanted to do," Bancroft said by way of summing up a career to the New York Times in 2002.


If not the biggest of stars, or the most gossiped-about of names, the determined Bancroft was one of Hollywood's steadiest-working and most acclaimed actresses of her generation. Through the course of her nearly 55-year stage and screen career, she won one Oscar, two Emmys, two Golden Globes and two Tonys.

Bancroft owed to the Oscar and half of her Tonys to one woman: Annie Sullivan. The real-life schoolmarm who willed the blind, deaf and previously unreachable Helen Keller to read and write was the inspiration for The Miracle Worker. Bancroft starred as Sullivan in both the 1959 Broadway and 1962 film versions opposite Patty Duke as Keller.

"On most nights we performed it felt as if we were one," Duke told the Associated Press on Tuesday.

It wasn't The Miracle Worker, though, that made Bancroft a pop-culture touchstone. It wasn't the awards, either. It was a certain arched leg.

In 1967, Bancroft, as desperate housewife Mrs. Robinson, shared cocktails with Dustin Hoffman, as aimless twentysomething Benjamin Braddock, in The Graduate, and with the point of her hose-covered toe kicked cinema into the modern era.

"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me," Hoffman's antsy Benjamin asked. "...Aren't you?"

Bancroft's Robinson just laughed.

Nothing in the movies would be the same. Not who would be considered acceptable movie stars--the quirky Hoffman broke through in an era when John Wayne still walked tall. Not what would be considered acceptable nudity--in case Braddock remained unsure about whether he was being seduced, the flash of Robinson's bare breast (a body double's, not Bancroft's) was the clincher. And not what would be considered acceptable soundtrack material--the Simon & Garfunkel-accented score marked the first time outside of a Beatles movie that modern pop songs were used to help drive a storyline.

The most famous of Paul Simon's Graduate contributions was "Mrs. Robinson," named after Bancroft's character, the 1960s generation gap at its catchiest.

In the movie, Mrs. Robinson was twice as old as Benjamin. In real life, Bancroft was just six years Hoffman's senior, 36 to his 30 at the time of the movie's release. That Bancroft, with nothing more than a hair highlight here and there, could make it seem as if she had Hoffman lapped by miles was no surprise to her director.

"Her beauty was constantly shifting with her roles," Mike Nichols said in a statement, "and because she was a consummate actress she changed radically for every part."

Bancroft, though, was not Nichols' original choice to play Mrs. Robinson; virginal archetype Doris Day was. Even after The Graduate became the box-office hit of 1968, Bancroft wasn't necessarily a "get" for producers. In a 1997 interview with the AP, she seemed to speculate that Robinson's predatory nature scared off men, some of whom happen to work in Hollywood.

"More than I know," Bancroft said of the movie's impact on her career. "But I don't have it documented."

Born Anna Maria Italiano on Sept. 17, 1931, in the Bronx, Bancroft toiled in television, sometimes billed as Anne Marno, and undistinguished films, such as Gorilla at Large, through the 1950s.

Her first notable success came on stage in 1958, opposite Henry Fonda in Two for the Seesaw. The played marked her Broadway debut, and earned Bancroft her first Tony nomination and win.

The Miracle Worker worked miracles for her film career, and brought her more prestigious, if not necessarily more popular, vehicles. In all, she scored five Best Actress Oscar nominations. Her honored roles included those in 1965's The Pumpkin Eater, 1978's The Turning Point, 1986's Agnes of God, and, yes, The Graduate. Both The Pumpkin Eater, another stage role she recalibrated for film, and The Graduate brought her Golden Globes.

The Emmys came for the 1970 variety special Annie, the Women in the Life of a Man and the 1999 TV movie Deep in My Heart.

Bancroft married outside the Industry in 1953 to Martin May, described in reports as a builder. Whatever May built, it wasn't a lasting union--the two divorced in 1957. Then came Perry Como.

By all accounts, the sweater-clad crooner wasn't a part of Bancroft's romantic life, but he changed it nonetheless. In 1961, Bancroft guested on Como's NBC variety show; 34-year-old writer-comic Mel Brooks watched. Very closely.

"She was wearing a white suit and singing 'Money I Can Always Get.' I fell in love with her then and there," Brooks once told columnist Liz Smith.

The two wed in 1964. In 1972, they had a son, Max, who became a writer for Saturday Night Live.

Other Bancroft-Brooks collaborations included their 1983 remake of the Ernst Lubitsch World War II comedy, To Be or Not To Be.

Outside of cameos in Blazing Saddles and Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Bancroft did not appear in Brooks' signature big-screen comedies. She did, however, appear in his uncharacteristically somber 1980 Oscar vehicle The Elephant Man, which he helped bring to the screen. On her own, Bancroft wrote, directed and costarred in the 1980 black comedy Fatso, featuring a then-relatively svelte Dom DeLuise as a man torn between food and love.

Bancroft appeared with Brooks in last year's season-closer of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Playing herself, she was seen toasting, and later ruing, her husband's decision to cast Larry David in Brooks' musical hit, The Producers.

In a 1995 interview for Premiere magazine, Bancroft turned the talk to funerals. Future E! Online columnist Ted Casablanca asked the actress if she wanted a big one. She said she did.

"Who do you want to sing at it?" Casablanca continued.

"Oh, God," Bancroft said. "I'd like my husband to sing at it."

Seems Bancroft just liked the sound of his voice.

A Tribute to Anne Bancroft

.....

September 17, 1931 - June 6, 2005

Anne Bancroft didn't quite fall into the category of a "classic" actress. She didn't break into films until 1952. She was still a very young 73 years old when she passed away on June 6, 2005.

But she also appeared on screen with Marilyn Monroe, Richard Widmark, Cornel Wilde, Susan Hayward, and Victor Mature. She was nominated five times for Best Actress. Even in the dumbest films, she could almost always be counted upon to turn in a sparkling performance.

Born as Anna Maria Italiano in the Bronx in 1931, Anne first appeared on screen in Don't Bother to Knock (1952), with Marilyn Monroe and Richard Widmark. After a few years during which she wasn't getting the kinds of roles she wanted, she returned to New York and the stage, finding success (and a Tony award) opposite Henry Fonda in Two For the Seesaw (1958). The following year she appeared in the stage version of The Miracle Worker, and eventually returned to Hollywood in 1962, starring with Patty Duke in the film adaptation of the play, and winning a Best Actress Oscar with her first nomination.

She was on a roll throughout the sixties, including a second Best Actress Oscar nomination for The Pumpkin Eater (1964), a role in John Ford's last film, 7 Women (1966), and finally her famous role as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate (1967), resulting in another Oscar nomination and a lifetime association with the part. In retrospect, some reviewers now look back on her role as the high point of what is now a somewhat dated film, a relic of its times.

Since then Bancroft (married to the great comedy director Mel Brooks since 1964) was successful in both comedy and drama, bringing humor and strength to a variety of mature roles (though often cast as the mother). She has worked with Mel on several occasions.

She tried her hand at directing in 1979, but Fatso, starring Dom DeLuise, was not a success. She received her fourth and fifth Oscar nominations for The Turning Point (1977), with Shirley MacLaine, and Agnes of God (1985), with Jane Fonda. She appeared in a number of TV-movies, most notably Deep in My Heart (1999), for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Emmy. Recently she lent her talents to several pleasant but otherwise forgettable films such as Great Expectations (1998), Keeping the Faith (2000), and Heartbreakers (2001).

She died of cancer in New York at the age of 73. She was a classy lady and will be greatly missed.

In summation of her awards, she is one of the few actors who has won a Tony, an Oscar and an Emmy.

She looks better in the pictures when she is older.

I wasnt a huge fan but sad to hear of her death.

I agree, mg, we should all age so well.

I loved her work, and was amazed how she appeared in so many films when actresses much younger were complaining about the lack of parts. I guess she didn't mind taking the smaller supportive roles in films like Point of No Return, G.I. Jane, Up at the Villa, and Heartbreakers.

I recently watched The Turning Point. She was so elegant and completely believable as an aging prima ballerina.

I was thinking about her yesterday as Gene Wilder was on a tlk show in the UK and they were talking about Mel Brooks.I would never have put him and her together!!.

Thought it would be a good idea to post her Filmography from IMDb -- she also directed a film, "Fatso."

Actress - filmography
(In Production) (2000s) (1990s) (1980s) (1970s) (1960s) (1950s)

Delgo (2005) (post-production) (voice) .... Sedessa


The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (2003) (TV) .... Contessa
Heartbreakers (2001) .... Gloria Vogal/Barbara
Haven (2001) (TV) .... Mama Gruber
Up at the Villa (2000) .... Princess San Ferdinando
Keeping the Faith (2000) .... Ruth Schram


Deep in My Heart (1999) (TV) .... Gerry Eileen Cummins
Antz (1998) (voice) .... Queen
Great Expectations (1998) .... Ms. Nora Dinsmoor
Critical Care (1997) .... Nun
G.I. Jane (1997) .... Sen. Lillian DeHaven
The Sunchaser (1996) .... Dr. Renata Baumbauer
Homecoming (1996/I) (TV) .... Abigail Tillerman
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) .... Madame Ouspenskaya (Gypsy Woman)
... aka Dracula mort et heureux de l'être (France)
Home for the Holidays (1995) .... Adele Larson
How to Make an American Quilt (1995) .... Glady Joe Cleary
The Mother (1994) (TV) .... Mrs. Fanning
... aka Great Performances: The Mother (USA: series title)
... aka Paddy Chayefsky's The Mother (USA)
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994) (TV) .... Lucy Marsden (age 99-100)
Mr. Jones (1993) .... Dr. Catherine Holland
Malice (1993) .... Mrs. Kennsinger
Point of No Return (1993) .... Amanda
... aka The Assassin (Australia) (UK) (USA: video title)
Love Potion No. 9 (1992) .... Madame Ruth
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) .... Bea Singer
Mrs. Cage (1992) (TV) .... Lillian Cage
Broadway Bound (1992) (TV) .... Kate Jerome
... aka Neil Simon's Broadway Bound (USA: complete title)
"Freddie and Max" (1990) TV Series .... Maxine (Max) Chandler


Bert Rigby, You're a Fool (1989) .... Meredith Perlestein
Torch Song Trilogy (1988) .... Ma
84 Charing Cross Road (1987) .... Helene Hanff
'Night, Mother (1986) .... Thelma Cates
Agnes of God (1985) .... Mother Miriam Ruth
Garbo Talks (1984) .... Estelle Rolfe
... aka Garbo Talks! (UK)
To Be or Not to Be (1983) .... Anna Bronski
"Marco Polo" (1982) (mini) TV Series .... Signora Polo
The Elephant Man (1980) .... Mrs. Kendal
Shogun (1980/I) (TV) (voice) .... Narrator of US home video version
... aka James Clavell's Shogun (USA: complete title)
Fatso (1980) .... Antoinette


The Turning Point (1977) .... Emma Jacklin
"Jesus of Nazareth" (1977) (mini) TV Series .... Mary Magdalene
... aka Gesù di Nazareth (Italy)
Lipstick (1976) .... Carla Bondi
The Hindenburg (1975) .... Ursula, The Countess
The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) .... Edna Edison
Blazing Saddles (1974) (uncredited) .... Extra in church congregation
Young Winston (1972) .... Jenny (Lady Randolph) Churchill
Annie, the Women in the Life of a Man (1970) (TV)


The Graduate (1967) .... Mrs. Robinson
7 Women (1966) .... Dr. D.R. Cartwright
The Slender Thread (1965) .... Inge Dyson
The Pumpkin Eater (1964) .... Jo Armitage
The Miracle Worker (1962) .... Annie Sullivan


The Girl in Black Stockings (1957) .... Beth Dixon
... aka Black Stockings (USA)
... aka Wanton Murder (USA)
The Restless Breed (1957) .... Angelita
Nightfall (1957) .... Marie Gardner
Walk the Proud Land (1956) .... Tianay
... aka Apache Agent
The Last Frontier (1955) .... Corinna Marston
... aka Savage Wilderness (USA: TV title)
The Naked Street (1955) .... Rosalie Regalzyk
... aka The Brass Ring (USA)
A Life in the Balance (1955) .... María Ibinia
New York Confidential (1955) .... Kathy Lupo
The Raid (1954) .... Katie Bishop
Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) .... Paula
Gorilla at Large (1954) .... Laverne Miller
The Kid from Left Field (1953) .... Marian Foley
Treasure of the Golden Condor (1953) .... Marie
Tonight We Sing (1953) .... Emma Hurok
Don't Bother to Knock (1952) .... Lyn Lesley



Filmography as: Actress, Miscellaneous Crew, Director, Writer, Herself, Archive Footage, Notable TV Guest Appearances

Miscellaneous Crew - filmography

The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1998) (funding generously provided by)



Filmography as: Actress, Miscellaneous Crew, Director, Writer, Herself, Archive Footage, Notable TV Guest Appearances

Director - filmography

Fatso (1980)

I thank everybody for the great posts. I had always liked her, but didn't know much about her.

Man, now I want to go out and rent "The Miracle Worker". She and Patty Duke are basically joined at the hip. Not only do they each have amazing performances, but they worked so well together.

Props to her, and to Mel. They were married over 40 years.

She said she once she was never bored as Mel's humor was consistant and constant.

This is just a personal quirk because the film never went much anywhere. But I liked her in Young Winston as Lady Churchill as much as I did in the Graduate and Miracle Worker.

I am a thorough fan. Nod to her, for recent pain, and a wonderful life, and a smile to Mel.

Smile to Mel? What do I know. I just suspect they would have talked about all this, and he needs a smile right about now.

One of my favorite Anne Bancroft performances was a one hour TV special in which she did a variety of characters.
The one that sticks in my mind. dA very naive, country bumpkin, young woman is auditioning for a singing part. She has no prepared music so they hand her a song and she sings:
I say tomato and you say tomato
I say potato and you say potato
(her character, not having a clue about the song,
looks up from the script, very puzzled, and sings)
Tomato, tomato , potato, potato
Let's call the whole thing off.
(With a helpless look and body language,
she plows through the song

It is one of the funniest side-spltters of all time!